Don’t go rushing out to buy sparklers just yet.
Or start making guns in your basement.
While most of the new laws approved by the Legislature this year take effect Thursday, those hoping to take advantage of some of them will just have to cool their heels for awhile.
A handful of bills have delayed enactment dates. And many of these are designed to give the state agencies involved a chance to prepare for them.
For example, Arizonans will soon be able to buy and possess sparklers.
But lawmakers agreed to make that law effective on Dec. 1. That gives the state fire marshal a chance to adopt rules about their use.
It also gives city councils a chance to opt out of allowing sparklers to be used within their limits, though they cannot ban the sale.
Also delayed is a law allowing Arizonans to make their own firearms without regard to federal weapons laws. That law, which is expected to result in a legal battle with the federal government, is instead set to kick in on Oct. 1.
Legislators also gave schools until the end of the year to ensure that their programs do not promote racial hatred. This measure is specifically aimed at the ethnic studies curriculum at Tucson Unified School District.
Schools can start offering a “Grand Canyon Diploma” in the 2012-13 school year to students who prove they are ready to graduate early.
And a mandate for students to be able to read at grade level before going on to the fourth grade won’t take effect until the 2013-14 school year.
